Brotherly Comfort
by MaidenMoonshine
Summary: Tim has finished off a hard day - he lied to Gibbs and received his first spanking for the offense. Tonight he's just trying to have a quiet evening to recover his dignity. Now, who could that be on his front step? Contains talking about corporal punishment of consenting adults. Based on a prompt by fiftyshadeswritergal.


**Time for another prompt story! Yay! I definitely love my bigger stories but these little ones keep me going through the week! **

**_Prompt from fiftyshadeswritergal: Tim has his annual firearms testing and fails. He lies to Gibbs and says he passed with the intention of retaking the test within the week. Unfortunately for Tim, Gibbs finds out about the failed test and the lie. How does Gibbs react?_**

**Enjoy! **

...

Tony knocked on Tim's door.

"Open up, Probie! I brought food!"

_I don't want food. I've been spanked for the first time since I was a kid - wouldn't that take away your appetite too?!_

Out loud, all Tim shouted was, "Go away, Tony. I've had a long day. Can't you just leave me alone for one night?"

"Nope!" Tony responded cheerfully. "Now open up!"

The lock predictably clicked and the door slowly creaked open. Tim was standing inside, looking annoyed and dishevelled. Tony breezed past confidently.

"Trust me, Tim, I know what it's like. No one EVER gets away with lying to Gibbs. And lying about test results that an instructor is going to give him anyway? Stupid! For your first time, that must have been bad. Gibbs never goes easy when he's spanking us for lying! And I thought that you were a genius or something!"

"Tony, please," Tim groaned, his face burning with shame.

_It's bad enough to have failed and even worse to have made such a mess by trying to deceive Gibbs - even if I WAS planning on making up my firearms test on Thursday. But to be ... be spanked like a child?! The paddling still stings! And then teased by that new breed of mosquito called the DiNozzo?! It is ..._

"Unbearable. I know," Tony said, grabbing Tim's shoulders and turning him around. Somehow he knew exactly what Tim was thinking. "But if I wasn't here, wouldn't it be worse?"

Tim had it admit - at least to himself - that it would. Rushing home with two sets of burning cheeks, completely humiliated after failing and then being chastised by his mentor, had left him feeling the slightest bit lonely. Sure, he could call Abby - she had never been quiet about the discipline she received from Gibbs. It was her complete trust in Gibbs that had allowed Tim to trust the older agent with discipline as well. But right now Tim didn't want Abby's kisses, cuddles, and condolences.

"Trust me, you want me here," Tony confirmed. He rubbed his own posterior sympathetically. "I lied to Gibbs a couple months ago about having my vaccines up to date - don't like needles. When he found out - yowch!"

Tim couldn't help it - he finally cracked a smile at Tony's dramatic expression.

_Yes, it is _kind_ of nice having Tony here._

That was the type of comfort that he wanted - not the twenty-question, overly-sympathetic kind like Abby's, although it was nice sometimes. Right now, Tony's companionship was just right. Besides ...

"I brought Chinese!"

The two plopped down on the couch - actually, Tony plopped, Tim eased himself. Tomorrow neither of them would mention this little meeting. Their pride wouldn't allow it. But they would both know that it happened and it would help build their friendship - brotherhood - a little bit more.

Tony's phone rang and he answered with a full mouth.

"Yup," he muttered around a forkful of noodles. "I'm there with him. All's good. See you in the morning, Boss. Bye."

He hung up and looked over at Tim.

"He was just checking you're okay."

Tim's face showed his bewilderment. "How'd he know that...?"

"And THAT is why you never lie to him! He's pretty much omniscient - at least when it comes to us as his team!"

Tim chewed his chicken, then asked, "He really was checking that I was okay?"

"Oh, yeah. He likes you, McGee. He once told me that he only does 'hands-on' discipline with the people he thinks are worth it, the ones he counts as ... family."

It was clear that Tony was still coming to terms with how that word related to him, but neither he nor Tim had any objection to being counted as a member of Gibbs' family.

"Thanks, Tony."

"Hey, anytime. Just remember to return the favour next time he drags me down to that old conference room!"

...

**I hope that you enjoyed! Make sure to go check fiftyshadeswritergal's page too - she has lots of fun stories. Her "For the Love of Music" is now completed and totally worth your time! Plus, she has written some short stories in responses to prompts that I have given her. She just gets better and better - I think that all of you would enjoy her style as well! **

**Please review! **


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